Senate adds $3 billion for border security

MICHELLE MITTELSTADT, Copyright 2007 Washington Bureau

Published
5:30 am CDT, Thursday, July 26, 2007

WASHINGTON — Eager to demonstrate to a skeptical public that Congress is determined to tackle illegal immigration, the Senate today added $3 billion to a homeland security spending bill to pay for thousands more Border Patrol agents, 700 miles of border fencing and sophisticated technology designed to bring the U.S.-Mexico boundary under operational control within two years.

The action marked a surprising reversal from Wednesday, when it appeared the extra border security funding would fall victim to partisan and philosophical disagreements. But Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, in a highly unusual floor speech, admitted today that he'd thrown "a little tantrum" the night before when he pulled the $3 billion amendment after an objection by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas.

The revised wording approved today addresses Cornyn's concern, directing that some of the $3 billion be spent on targeting visa overstayers and 632,000 illegal immigrants who have ignored their deportation orders.

"I think that most Americans believe that losing operational control of the U.S.-Mexican border is a national security issue ... and they would applaud our efforts to put money into securing the border," Graham said.

The amendment essentially would fund the promises Congress already has made on border security and provide significant enforcement increases beyond those already pledged.

Still, the extra border security funding is far from assured. The White House has threatened to veto the entire homeland security spending bill on grounds it busts the spending cap set by President Bush.

The legislation would provide the money to:

-- Bring the Border Patrol to 23,000 agents by 2012

-- Construct all 700 miles of fencing at the U.S.-Mexico border and 300 miles of vehicle barriers.

-- Permit the purchase of four unmanned aerial vehicles to surveil the border region for illegal crossers and add 105 ground-based radar and camera towers integral to the operation of a "virtual" fence.